Hongdae salon for a Pilates profile shoot low bun: Moi Hair Makeup

Where is Moi Hair Makeup and when is it open?

Moi Hair Makeup (모이헤어메이크업) is at b06, B1F, Hyosung Hongikingan, 183 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is open Mon–Sat 8:00–17:30 and Sunday 8:00–15:00, and parking is free for the first hour (then ₩1,000 per 20 minutes).

I visited for hair and makeup before my Pilates profile photo shoot. I wanted to look prettier in the photos than my usual makeup allows, so I went looking for a hair and makeup salon where a professional could do it. The building is right on the left as you come out of Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station.

The salon is on the first basement floor of the Hongikingan officetel building.

You'll see it the moment you step out of the elevator! Just head in here.

How does the skincare step at Moi Hair Makeup work?

After checking my reservation, the staff took my bags, and I was moved to an annex on the same floor for skincare and base makeup first. I had booked a Friday afternoon, and even though it was early, there were quite a few customers.

I arrived with time to spare and waited, and my first impression of the interior was that it was bright and clean. When your time comes, they confirm your reservation and store your things. Then you move to the annex on the same floor, not this space, where they start with skincare.

Before the makeup itself, they went through the skincare carefully. I think the base is what matters most in shoot makeup, and because they smoothed my skin texture first and built a solid foundation, the makeup afterward looked more natural and stayed put better.

Can you see the glow on my skin after the skincare?! That's after several layers of base makeup. After the skincare and base makeup, I moved back to the first space. The rest of the makeup and the hair were done by the head stylist.

Can you get cool-tone profile makeup without a reference photo?

The head stylist at Moi Hair Makeup asked what tone I wanted before starting and didn't look at any reference photos. I asked for cool tone and a clean, profile-ready look, and she said she'd do the dewy, fresh look that's popular these days.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how tidy the whole place felt. It was a clean, clutter-free space, so I could get ready comfortably, and there were cosmetics from a huge range of brands, which was fun to look at. Because they use so many kinds of products, they could adjust the skin finish and the overall mood to the style I wanted.

Before starting, she checked which tone I wanted. I knew I was cool-toned, so I asked for that. I'd recommend figuring out your own tone before you go. She didn't ask to see reference photos, so I don't think you need to bring any! Since it was for profile photos, I said I wanted a clean look, and she said she'd go for that dewy (?) look that's popular lately.

After that, the makeup went quickly and skillfully. The head stylist worked calmly on the parts that needed it, and even though it was shoot makeup, she finished it by bringing out my good features rather than making it thick or heavy. I was especially impressed by the detail that makes the face contour and features look sharp on camera.

(I was curious how I'd changed, so I asked for a photo after the makeup was done, before the hair started ^^) Usually, when I do heavy eye makeup or put on false lashes to get a defined look, it feels awkward and over the top, so I'd rarely tried it. But when a professional does it, it's definitely different.

How was the low bun hair for Pilates equipment photos?

Since the shoot was on Pilates equipment, I asked Moi Hair Makeup for a low bun (thorn bun). Because it's a tied-up style, there was a ₩22,000 updo surcharge, and a lot of bobby pins went in.

A huge number of pins went into that bun.. She also finished the hairline and flyaways carefully, so the overall result felt very polished. It was neat yet elegant, and fit the concept of a Pilates profile shoot well.

How long does hair and makeup take, and what are the extra charges?

At Moi Hair Makeup, everything from skincare to makeup and hair was done in about 1 hour. I'd come expecting 1.5 to 2 hours, but the head stylist said doing makeup and hair in one go finishes faster.

I got an updo (applies to all tied-up styles), so there was a ₩22,000 surcharge. The price can go up depending on the styling you want, so I recommend checking beforehand.

While waiting to pay.. I liked the eye makeup especially, so I took a shot of it.

There was a lot of time left before the shoot, so I took some photos by myself to remember how my makeup looked.

Is Moi Hair Makeup worth it before a profile shoot?

Moi Hair Makeup lets you get hair and makeup done in one place, which was convenient before a shoot, and above all I was happy that the style I wanted came together so quickly! It let me face the camera with more confidence.

If you're looking for natural yet polished hair and makeup before an important event like a profile shoot, I think it would be a satisfying experience! If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment! I'll rush over to answer quickly, haha